Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios does not require a coach but someone like Sigmund Freud to sort out his problems as tennis needs the Australian maverick, seven-times major winner John McEnroe said.
The 27-year-old Kyrgios was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final on Sunday but not before he had left his mark on the grass-court major, where he delighted fans with his immense talent but also frustrated them with his temperament.
"I get a lot of what's going on here more than most people," the 63-year-old McEnroe, who was no stranger to petulance on the court during his playing days, told the BBC.
"He's a good kid, the players like him, he's well-liked in the locker room, he does a lot of charity work.
"But he's got demons — we all have this fear of failure and it's a question of how you best deal with it."
Three-times Wimbledon winner McEnroe, nicknamed "Superbrat" before becoming a respected analyst, said that he was amazed by Kyrgios's talent but added that he needed help from someone like psychoanalysis founder Freud.
"Who should coach Nick Kyrgios? John McEnroe of course but he's [Kyrgios] untouchable. The guy doesn't need the coach, the guy is a genius the way he plays.
"He's obviously tortured in certain ways. Unbelievably talented, smart. Hell of a player when he wants to be and so you want to nurture that in a way as an ex-player, as a father, as a fan, as a commentator, so I can relate a lot."
Kyrgios put together his best-ever performance at a grand slam tournament before losing to the world number one in a Centre Court men's final.
However, he was fined three times during the tournament for a total of 12,200 pounds sterling ($21,460) for various bad behaviour and outbursts, including spitting towards a spectator in his first-round match and swearing in the final.
He also hit the headlines for off-court issues during Wimbledon, with the release of news that the Australian had been summonsed to appear in the ACT Magistrates Court on August 2 in relation to an assault charge.
At the tournament, Kyrgios was asked about being one of a very few players on tour who do not have a coach.
"I don't have a coach, I wouldn't put that burden on someone," he replied.
Following the final, he was also asked whether his Wimbledon run had made him more hungry for grand slam success.
"Absolutely not, I'm so tired, honestly," Kyrgios said, provoking laughter from the crowd. "Myself, my team, I think we're all exhausted. We have played so much tennis."
Reuters / ABC
